Virginia Commonwealth UniversityVCU Scholars Compass

Capstone Design Expo Posters School of Engineering

2015

Non-Causal Autonomous Parking System forDriverless VehiclesNgoc Hue VoVirginia Commonwealth University

Swarna ChowdhuriVirginia Commonwealth University

Ivo YotovVirginia Commonwealth University

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Non-Causal Autonomous Parking

System for Driverless Vehicles

Team Members:

Ngoc Hue Vo

Swarna Chowdhuri

Ivo Yotov

Faculty Advisors:

Dr. Yue Zhao, Ph.D.

Dr. Michael Cabral, Ph.D.

Background

Vehicle parking is an urban problem that is only getting worse. Recent

studies suggest that not only does the average person spend 106 days

over their life-time searching for parking spaces, but also that nearly

23% off all vehicle accidents occur in parking lots [1] [2]. With the

advent of autonomous cars there is an opportunity to integrate

technology into the loop that coordinates this process to improve

efficiency and safety. While modern cars are increasingly fitted with

sophisticated sensory suites, a central monitoring system would enable

improved decision-making based on a priori information – effectively

giving a driverless vehicle awareness beyond its present state.

Objective

The project strives to streamline the process of finding a vacant parking space

while ensuring client safety through the direction of localized traffic. The solution

places great importance on affordability and scalability while maintaining

relevance in a dynamic technological ecosystem.

The elements of the design are:

•Parking Space Proximity Sensor

•Central Host Microcontroller Unit (HMCU)

•Vehicle Microcontroller Unit (VMCU)

•Communications & Networking

•Data Fusion & Processing

Challenges

• Cost vs. Benefit

• System Awareness

• Deployment Requirements

• Universal Standards

• EM Spectrum Management

• Cyber Vandalism

• Future Upgradability

References

[1] Malz, Charlotte. "How Technology Can Reduce the Frustration of Looking

for Somewhere to Park." Audi Urban Future Initiative. Audi AG, 03 Apr.

2014. Web. 21 Sept. 2014.

[2] Stark, John A. “Parking Lots: Where Motorists Become Pedestrians.”

University at Albany, SUNY. 23 Apr. 2012. Web. 21 Sept. 2014.

Process

Implementation

Arduino Mega 2560 R3

• 54 Digital I/O Pins

• 16 MHz Clock Speed

• Widely Used

Xbee Series 1 Module

• Point-to-Point or Mesh

• 100m Range (1mW)

• 250 Kbps Data Rate

Sharp Distance Sensor

• Small & Low Power

• 0.2” to 6” Range

• Digital Detection

Model Parking Lot

The trial board utilizes COTS products (seen above) to demonstrate the

process on a small scale using a model electric car. The digital sensors are

embedded throughout the board to provide reliable state information to aid in

vehicle marshalling procedures. The HMCU acts as the hub of the entire

network and performs data fusion and processing functions.

Model Electric Car

The car itself is driven with four DC motors that are monitored with encoders to

measure the radial motion of the wheels. The VMCU is an Arduino Uno R3 and

a DC motor shield with another Xbee Wireless Module to interface with the

HMCU.

Vehicle Route without Non-Causal Parking System

Vehicle Route with Non-Causal Parking System